“Dear Mrs. Behrens,” my mother said as she read the note my fourth grade teacher had sent home that day. “I would just like to let you know that Cara showed a great act of kindness today” she continued. My brain began to scan for all the possible scenarios that Mrs. Nichols could have been referring to. Mrs. Nichols would frequently send home notes to tell my mom about my accomplishments. However, they were usually academic related. This was the first time I had received one about being kind. My mother continued to read the note aloud; “Your daughter went out of her way to include her classmate Stephanie in a game during recess today. She even gave Stephanie the bracelet she made. You should be very proud. Sincerely Mrs. Nichols.” Once my mom had finished, I had realized why Mrs. Nichols was so proud of me. Stephanie was new to our fourth grade class. She didn’t have many friends and to be quite frank, she was a target for bullying. My classmates would pick on her because she spoke with a southern accent. I didn’t like to watch her sit by herself at recess so I would make the effort to include her. After my mom read Mrs. Nichols letter to me, I realized something that I would stay with me for the rest of my life. I realized that acts of kindness don’t always go unnoticed. Doing the right thing makes you different from the crowd, but in a way that gains respect. This concept is what has motivated me resist peer pressure and look for opportunities to help others. I found it rewarding to go out of my way to benefit others.
When going through school, peer pressure will almost always be present. In my high school, I would constantly see groups of students gang up on other students that were different than them. The arena for this kind of bullying would usually be on social media. Whenever I saw this taking place, I would chose to comfort the person who was the subject of the bullying. One specific instance was when a group of girls targeted a younger student over something she had allegedly said. Instead of joining them, i chose to comfort the girl who was being picked on. I went out of my way to let her know that if she needed a friend, I would be more than happy to be there for her. I did this on multiple occasions, mainly because I understood what it felt like to be disliked and I didn't want anyone else to feel that way. Mrs. Nichols stress on being kind to others is something I still carry with me. I find it crucial to not follow the crowd but to help those who really need support.
Having Mrs. Nichols as a teacher made me realize the importance of helping others. Everyday when we would leave the classroom she would say "do something kind today." Even as a college freshman, I still try to reach that goal of doing something kind everyday. Whether it be giving someone a compliment, doing some form of volunteering, donating to a cause, I always try to do something to make someone else's day better. I really believe that if everyone pitched in and helped each other, the world would be a better place.
Community service is one of the ways I try to implement Mrs. Nichols lessons. In high school I volunteered in many different settings, the local nursing home, the food pantry, the elementary schools, anywhere that I thought I could make an impact. In college I decided to join Jumpstart. Jumpstart is a program that allows college students to work with preschoolers in an attempt to close the achievement gap. When I heard about Jumpstart, I knew immediately that I wanted to be involved. I know that by working with these children, I will be fulfilling Mrs. Nichols wish of putting other first. Although Jumpstart takes away from my time to socialize and study, I believe it's worth it knowing that my sacrifice will benefit others. Community service is one way I can implement the lessons my fourth teacher taught me.
My fourth grade teacher has had the strongest impact on my present day life. Mrs. Nichols did more than just teach academic lessons. She really focused on making all of her students leave her classroom with a strong set of values. The lesson I took away from her class was the importance of helping others. This lesson is something that has stayed with me for all these years and I hope that when I'm a teacher I can also instill these values on my students.
When going through school, peer pressure will almost always be present. In my high school, I would constantly see groups of students gang up on other students that were different than them. The arena for this kind of bullying would usually be on social media. Whenever I saw this taking place, I would chose to comfort the person who was the subject of the bullying. One specific instance was when a group of girls targeted a younger student over something she had allegedly said. Instead of joining them, i chose to comfort the girl who was being picked on. I went out of my way to let her know that if she needed a friend, I would be more than happy to be there for her. I did this on multiple occasions, mainly because I understood what it felt like to be disliked and I didn't want anyone else to feel that way. Mrs. Nichols stress on being kind to others is something I still carry with me. I find it crucial to not follow the crowd but to help those who really need support.
Having Mrs. Nichols as a teacher made me realize the importance of helping others. Everyday when we would leave the classroom she would say "do something kind today." Even as a college freshman, I still try to reach that goal of doing something kind everyday. Whether it be giving someone a compliment, doing some form of volunteering, donating to a cause, I always try to do something to make someone else's day better. I really believe that if everyone pitched in and helped each other, the world would be a better place.
Community service is one of the ways I try to implement Mrs. Nichols lessons. In high school I volunteered in many different settings, the local nursing home, the food pantry, the elementary schools, anywhere that I thought I could make an impact. In college I decided to join Jumpstart. Jumpstart is a program that allows college students to work with preschoolers in an attempt to close the achievement gap. When I heard about Jumpstart, I knew immediately that I wanted to be involved. I know that by working with these children, I will be fulfilling Mrs. Nichols wish of putting other first. Although Jumpstart takes away from my time to socialize and study, I believe it's worth it knowing that my sacrifice will benefit others. Community service is one way I can implement the lessons my fourth teacher taught me.
My fourth grade teacher has had the strongest impact on my present day life. Mrs. Nichols did more than just teach academic lessons. She really focused on making all of her students leave her classroom with a strong set of values. The lesson I took away from her class was the importance of helping others. This lesson is something that has stayed with me for all these years and I hope that when I'm a teacher I can also instill these values on my students.